


In His Defence

by Peachy_Beans



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, M/M, Minor Violence, Name-Calling, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Protective Noctis Lucis Caelum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 09:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15838575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peachy_Beans/pseuds/Peachy_Beans
Summary: Of COURSE he couldn’t escape the name-calling, the hissed insult that reminded him he didn’t belong. He did have some good backup though...





	In His Defence

**Author's Note:**

> So once upon a time I had started a fic for ever-at-your-side-15 on tumblr for the Valentine’s exchange, but then a lot of shit happened and a lot of the fic was lost in a computer crash. I salvaged what I could and forever later, I present this!! I have a larger sort-of au that this’ll fit into eventually once I get it going as well, but consider this a wee peek!!

The first thing Prompto registered before the man across the canal shouted at them was a familiar pain in his chest. He shrugged it off as finally coming down with a cold from all the times he'd been jokingly bumped and pushed into Altissia's waterways by Gladio and Noctis and his own clumsy feet landing him in them on his own. Then came the hissed words.

"Get the hell out of here, filthy Niff!"

Prompto almost didn't stop. He'd heard the slur thrown at him so many times on his own that it didn't even bother him anymore, as awful as that was. And then came the reminder that he wasn't on his own this time.

A reminder in the form of Noctis stopping in front of him so suddenly that the blond ran straight into him.

"Hey, buddy! What gives?" Prompto chuckled a bit as he studied his friend's face.

But Noctis was focused at the men across the street.

The trio were bulky men, sternly returning the prince's gaze at them. "What are you looking at, pretty boy? Did I insult your Niff pet?"

"Shut up."

There was a tingle along Prompto's skin and the eerie crackle of magic in his ears as Noctis's ire started to manifest. Warning bells started going off in his head at that. "Hey. Just ignore them, okay? They're just looking to pick a fight..."

"Prom, they called you a Niff! That can't just slide!"

"Noct..."

One of the other men laughed "Look at that! Pretty boy is trying to be intimidating! How cute."

Prompto grabbed his friend's shoulder as Noctis started to turn towards the trio. "Noct. It's not worth it to get angry over. It's not anything I'm not used to so just...let it go? Please?"

Noctis looked briefly like he was going to argue, but eventually he just sighed "Fine. But if I see them bothering you again..."

"Don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure they'll just start a fight somewhere else and forget about it." The blond forced out a laugh and tugged the prince away from the area. Inwardly, he really hoped the men would forget and leave him alone.

\---

Prompto really shouldn't have hoped so hard...

"Hey there, Niff. No pretty boy here to protect you today, hmm?"

Prompto shrunk back against the wall, trying to make himself a smaller target for the men pinning him there. "Please just leave me alone... I'm not from...there..."

"Aww how cute. Trying to beg." The larger of the three cackled "Must be how he got such a loyal pet out of the prince of Lucis."

Crap...they hadn't exactly been sneaky getting into the city, but they'd hoped they had at least been laying low...! "He's not-!"

"Shut up. You Niffs are all the same. Trying to get sympathy and then taking whatever you want." The man directly in front of Prompto hissed. "Worming your way into our homes and acting like you deserve to be treated like you aren't our enemy. Like your people didn't just invade us and take over."

"I'm not from Nifelheim! I grew up in Lucis!"

"I said shut up!"

There was a soft yelp as Prompto recoiled from the sudden slap across his face.  
"You're no better than any other Niff that shows up here. Even if you do have the prince as your pet."

"He's not-mmph!"

"Quiet when someone is talking to ya, Niff." The smallest of the three men hissed as he covered his mouth.

"Ah, seems you need to be taught some manners." The first man smirked, pulling a small knife from his pocket. "I think I know a way to train you."

Prompto stiffened, eyes focusing on the blade as he made scared whimpering noises behind the man's hand. He could probably force his way out of the three men's hold if he really tried, but he wasn't ready for them to pull a knife on him.

"Hey...are you sure that's smart...?" The last of the men mumbles, "He's got the side of the Lucian prince..."

"Oh, so you're siding with the Niff?"

"No...I'm just saying..."

"You can shut up, then. Before you get the same treatment." He turned and held the knife up under Prompto's chin "And you, my Niff friend-"

"HANDS. OFF."

Prompto blinked in shock at the sudden flash of blue in his vision and the small nick of pain at his jaw as Noctis appeared quite suddenly with a fist connecting to the larger man's face.

"What the-?!" The man hissed angrily, holding the knife up to the prince. "You want some too?!"

Noctis simply stared at the man in front of him, his eyes glinting dangerously. Prompto slumped slightly as the man holding him backed away, as if sensing the dangerous aura surrounding the prince. "I thought I made it clear that I won't let you treat Prom like that."

"What do you care about this filthy NIFF?!"

"This NIFF is more important than you can possibly imagine!" Prompto shrunk back at the sudden uptick of electric energy in the air "And I'm not going to let you lay a hand on him again!"

The man closest to Prompto laughed and shoved his way past him to grab at Noctis's arm. "You're gonna have to go through me if you plan on enforcing tha-ACK!"

Prompto flinched as Noctis whipped around to throw his fist in the man's face, a glare dark enough to rival one of the Marshall's crossing his face and a visible current of electricity thrumming just under his skin and playing across his irises. The prince stood over the stunned man, venom in his voice as he hissed "Do you really want to try me?"

"Noct!"

"Prince Noctis!"

Noctis smoothly warp-dodged the leader's attack as he swung the knife at his head before the prince slammed a fist into the man's gut, another spark of electricity charging the air around him threateningly.

The final man cautiously backed away from the blond as Noctis turned his glare his way, hands up in surrender. "I-I didn't see anything, your majesty! I-I promise!"

The prince regarded him a moment before glancing at the two stunned men on the ground. "...Get going and I'll forget you were even here."

The man yelped and thanked Noctis profusely as he bolted. Once he was gone, he grabbed Prompto's arm and all but dragged him out of the alley, hissing insults about the men behind them.

(The nick, Prompto later noted, was nowhere to be found)

\--

"I'm...sorry, Noct..."

"For what?"

Prompto sighed, leaning against a guard rail. "You got dragged into my mess..."

Noctis raised his eyebrow. "I didn't get dragged into any mess. I wanted to back up my friend."

"But they're right, you know? I'm nothing but a Niff..." The blond hung his head with another sigh. "You shouldn't have to deal with me..."

"...who cares about that?"

Prompto flinched and looked up at him "What...? But...you're a prince! And I'm just a pleb...and a...Niff..."

"That doesn't matter."

"But I wasn't-!"

"Prom, I don't care if you weren't born in Lucis! You're still my best friend. That's not gonna change, no matter what anyone says."

Prompto looked down at his hands where Noctis suddenly had them gripped in both of his own (When had he...?) "Noct..." He took a quick breath "There's...something else I need to-"

"Hey! You guys! Over here!"

Noctis dropped Prompto's hands to wave at Gladio and Ignis "We'll meet you guys there!" He turned back to Prompto with a smile "You were saying?"

"...Nevermind. Just...I'll tell you later, okay?" The blond smiled up at him.  
He wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but, as if pulled by some force beyond his control, Prompto leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of Noctis's lips. The lingering odd feeling in his chest faded slightly as he pulled away.

"...Prompto?"

The photographer shook his head and smiled at him "Don't think about it too much. Let's go before the guys start to worry about you."

Noctis made a face but sighed and looked away "Okay. Let's go, then."

As the prince walked away, Prompto gripped at his chest.

He'd tell him the rest later...he would...

\---

_"You need to get some rest, Noct."_

_"But what if he wakes up? What if Gladio and Cor come back?"_

_"Then I'll wake you. But until then, you won't do Prompto any good like this."_

_"...okay... Good night, Specs..."_

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!!
> 
> Also, I recently started a ko-fi ([Support Me on Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/J3J4HOCT)) where you can support me and my writing! Totally optional!!
> 
> Love y'all!!


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